Mumbai City FC saw their winning run end at four games on Saturday. They drew 0-0 with Hyderabad FC at the GMC Stadium, Bambolim.
It was not an exciting game as a whole. Mumbai failed to create clear-cut opportunities all game but their opponents had a few chances which they failed to take. The Islanders struggled in the first half but were able to stop Hyderabad from scoring. In the second half also, both teams failed to produce any goal-scoring opportunities.
However, the draw did not affect Mumbai’s position in the table. They stay on top whereas Hyderabad occupy the fourth spot.
Mumbai City FC 0-0 Hyderabad FC Team News:
Mumbai Coach Sergio Lobera started with his familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. Amrinder started in the goal with Fall and Santana at the heart of their defence.
Ranawade and Mandar Rao Dessai played as fullbacks. Rowllin Borges and Ahmed Jahouh operated as a double pivot in front of the defence. Cy and Bipin Singh played as wingers with Raynier as the number 10. Lastly, Adam Le Fondre completed the team as the lone striker. Lobera left the star midfielder Hugo Boumos out of the game to give him rest.
Manuel Marquez, on the other hand, started with a 4-4-2 formation. Experienced Kattimani started in goal. Ashish Rai, Chinglensana, Onaindia and Akash Mishra formed the defensive line. Yasir and Liston Colaco played as wide midfielders with Sastre and Hitesh in the middle. Aridane played as a number 9 with Joel Chianese playing off of him in a supporting role.
Mumbai City FC 0-0 Hyderabad FC Post-match Analysis:
The Islanders started the game slowly. It allowed Hyderabad to play on the front foot. After a quiet spell, Marquez’s side had the first shot on target from Liston Colaco which resulted in a corner after a save from Amrinder. Then the goalkeeper made an easy save from the following corner.
After this, Lobera’s side showed dominance on the ball. However, it was Joel Chianese who got the golden chance of the half. Yasir put the Australian through on goal and he had only Amrinder to beat.
But, he failed to take the chance as the experienced keeper saved. Mumbai’s only shot on target was towards the end of the first half. Le Fondre won possession and shot at goal from range.
The second half started with Amrinder giving away possession cheaply. Colaco had the ball and saw his shot go wide of the target. Another chance fell for Aridane who guided a header towards goal but Amrinder saved Mumbai from conceding only their fifth goal of the season. A highlight for Mumbai in the second half is when Le Fondre attempted a run on goal. However, Onaindia’s tackle made sure that the English didn’t find a winner.
Mumbai City FC 0-0 Hyderabad FC Reaction and Comments
Hyderabad certainly put in a very strong performance by creating chances in such a game and against a team like Mumbai. However, their failure to score will disappoint their fans and players. But their coach, Marquez, was happy with his side’s performance. He termed the result as a fair one in the post-match interview.
“I am very satisfied with the team. I know that we had clearer chances in the game but I think that the score was fair because they have a very good team. Even though the score was 0-0, it was an interesting game.”
Manuel Marquez after the game
On the other hand, it was really a disappointing game for the Islanders. Their coach Lobera looked pretty upset in the post-match interview. He didn’t blame missing Boumos for this performance as his team lacked creativity. He also gave Hyderabad credit for their performance.
“Hyderabad played well. We didn’t play like we did in the other games. I think that a draw is a fair result.
“We want to fight for the three points till the very end so obviously we are not happy with just one point. We tried to fight till the end and we are a team which has a big balance between attack and defence.”
Sergio Lobera
Notable Performances:
Hitesh Sharma: The young Indian midfielder was terrific for Hyderabad in the middle of the park. He made two successful tackles also two interceptions. His passing was also pretty good. He completed 78% of his passes in the game.
Amrinder Singh: The Mumbai City goalkeeper was in a good form. He made some crucial saves to keep their seventh clean sheet of the tournament.
Next, Mumbai will face SC East Bengal on Friday and Hyderabad will face Odisha FC on Tuesday.
